


Fool

by starchitect



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: F/M, Injury, Light Angst, hurt/comfort???, not much except, sure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26538091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starchitect/pseuds/starchitect
Summary: “Please…” she sobs. “You can’t keep doing this. I… I don’t want to lose you.”
Relationships: Melia Ancient | Melia Antiqua/Shulk
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Fool

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pachipower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pachipower/gifts).



> Pachi I want you to know this one is YOUR FAULT.
> 
> THAT ART YOU WERE WORKING ON IS WHAT SPARKED THIS.
> 
> YOU'RE WELCOME.

It starts with a sigh. It’s quiet and soft, but against the utter lack of noise around them it’s like a gunshot. It’s minutes of cold silence and Melia carefully tending to Shulk’s wounds with a permanent frown while Shulk is unable to meet her gaze. It’s nothing but tension and stiff awkwardness between them, and then Melia decides to cut it in half with a small huff.

She sighs, and Shulk steels himself for the inevitable lecture. He knows it’s coming, especially after the look he had been given after he ended up covered in various scrapes and bruises. Melia hadn’t even said a word—all she needed to convey her frustration was a glare, and Shulk knew she was going to tell him off as she dragged him away by the hand.

“I’m going to assume you understand how utterly senseless that was,” Melia says, preparing another roll of bandages to wrap his shoulder. “You really shouldn’t rush into danger like that.”

Shulk still can’t look her in the eye, so he makes a low hum to show his acknowledgment. Melia gently washes away more dirt and blood.

“I understand that you were trying to protect me. And that was brave of you, but…”

She sighs again. Shulk grimaces.

_“You can’t just keep wounding yourself for my sake!”_

It’s this that causes Shulk to finally look up. There are tears in Melia’s eyes.

“It’s not fair…” she sniffles. “I care about your well-being just as much as you care about mine. I can’t believe you would ever be so careless.”

Shulk averts his gaze again. He knew she would say something like this, but that doesn’t make it any easier to hear. The fact that she’s crying doesn’t help.

“I don’t want you to keep risking your life for me. It… It hurts to see you like this.”

Melia finishes wrapping his shoulder, and Shulk tries not to wince when she brushes her fingers over the bandages. He watches as her eyes move from one injury to another, and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen her so... _distressed._ It’s unsettling.

“Please…” she sobs. “You can’t keep doing this. I… I don’t want to lose you.”

And then she very carefully envelops him in a gentle hug. Her touch is so soft, so feather light, that he can barely even feel it, but it’s undeniably _there._ For a moment, he isn’t sure whether to return the hug, so he simply just sits still while Melia cries and her tears land against his bare skin.

After a minute, he decides to put his arms around her and pull her just a bit closer while she calms down. And as Shulk holds her against his chest, he realizes just how _stupid_ he’s been. Of course, he wants nothing more than to keep Melia safe, but…

What would she do if he went too far?

And it’s this thought that brings tears to Shulk’s eyes, because the thought of leaving Melia _alone_ is so much worse than anything else he can imagine.

He lets the tears fall.

“I’m sorry,” he chokes, and Melia stiffens when she hears his voice. “I’m so sorry...”

She doesn’t reply, so he keeps going.

“I just… I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. I… I care about you so much, I just…”

The tears keep coming. He doesn’t stop them. If anything, he just cries harder.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt. And yet… I can’t just sacrifice myself and leave you alone…”

That scares him more than anything. Melia deserves so _much._ If Shulk had gotten himself killed over something so small… He doesn’t want to think about it.

He really should be more careful.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” he mutters. “It was selfish of me to not expect you to be upset. You have every right to be angry with me.”

At this, Melia tightens her hold on him ever so slightly before pulling back. She’s smiling.

“Of course I’m angry, you fool. Just...try not to hurt yourself anymore. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Shulk returns the smile, and then Melia leans forward to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. He takes her hands into his.

“Anything for you, princess.”

**Author's Note:**

> for context Pachi was drawing Shulk being stupid and injured and Melia treating his wounds and it made me go feral so I wrote this


End file.
